Source: Overseas Network
"After coming to Beijing, I know more about China, and I like everything about China." Dominica Ambassador to China Martin Charles said in an interview with the People's Daily Overseas Network recently. Charles said China is a close friend of Dominica and "in difficult times, China has been helping us." ”
"China's development is unstoppable"
Since Charles's first visit to China in 2009, his visit to China has become his regular annual itinerary. "Before I became ambassador to China, I came to China twice a year on average." Charles said, "I have witnessed the great changes in China over the years. What amazed him was not only the completion of "hard facilities" such as Beijing Daxing International Airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, but also the continuous improvement of "soft facilities" such as education and environment. Speaking of this, Charles pointed out the window: "China's blue sky is getting more and more, and the weather in Beijing today is very good." ”
The more Chinese cities he visited, the more Optimistic Charles became about China's prospects. Speaking of the most impressive cities, he mentioned Shenzhen. With more than 40 years of traveling through the hundreds of years of foreign international metropolises, Shenzhen has written a wonderful story on a blank piece of paper. When Charles truly walked into the young city, he felt the spring-like vitality. "When you see so many young people in Shenzhen working in the technology industry, you will feel that China's development is unstoppable." Charles said.
China's development not only has speed, but also temperature. On the road to moderate prosperity, the Chinese Communist Party's promise to "leave no one behind" is full of the temperature of China's development. In Ningde, Fujian Province, Charles saw how the Chinese Communist Party led the people to forge a path out of poverty and become rich between the mountains and the sea. Seeing the historic changes in Ningde, Charles was deeply touched: "No matter how your life is now, as long as you move in the right direction, you will always see the light at the end of the tunnel." ”
In the land of China, one Ningde story after another has been interpreted. Charles said that the Chinese Communist Party has led 770 million rural people out of poverty for more than 40 years and achieved the poverty reduction goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, which is a unique feat in the world. "I admire the Chinese Communist Party's ability to govern and congratulate it on its outstanding achievements in eradicating absolute poverty." Charles said.
Recent photo of Dominica Ambassador to China Martin Charles. (Photo by Yang Haoming)
"Thank you to the Chinese doctor for saving me"
Speaking of his deep relationship with China, Charles emotionally told a special experience that spanned life and death. In 2019, Charles had a heart attack during his return to China, thanks to the timely diagnosis and treatment of the Chinese aid medical team, which pulled him back from the brink of danger. Charles then underwent surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and eventually recovered. "My follow-up results are good. If it weren't for the Chinese doctor diagnosing my condition in Dominica, I probably wouldn't have been so lucky, thanks to the Chinese doctor for saving me. Charles said.
This cross-mountain and sea-crossing medical treatment is the epitome of China-Dominica health cooperation. In recent years, China has vigorously supported the construction of medical and health undertakings in Dominica, bringing tangible benefits to the local people: the Chinese aid to the multi-medical team in Dominica to build new disciplines, carry out new surgeries, bring advanced diagnosis and treatment concepts, improve the local medical level, but also train local doctors; in 2018, during the visit of the Chinese Navy and the Ark Hospital, it provided comprehensive diagnosis and treatment services for more than 5,000 local people, which was widely praised. "Just as the so-called suffering sees the truth, Dominica people are very grateful for the help of the Chinese government." Charles said.
In the face of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, China has sent the warmth of charcoal in the snow to Dominica. Charles said that the epidemic prevention materials and new crown vaccines aided by the Chinese side have been highly praised by the Dominican society. Charles revealed that it took only a few weeks from the time china made the commitment to the delivery of the vaccine. "Dominic is deeply grateful for that." Charles said that many cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and other dignitaries in Dominica were vaccinated at the vaccine handover site for the first time, "which is to show the people of Dominica and the international community that China's vaccine is safe." ”
Experience a super hurricane test
The friendship between China and Dominica has been tested by super hurricanes, and in 2017, the five-magnitude super hurricane Maria hit Dominica head-on, almost "erasing" the island nation from the map. Charles said Hurricane Maria caused the equivalent of 226 percent of a year's gross domestic product to Donimick. At the difficult time of rebuilding its homeland in Dominica, China reached out in time.
China not only provided humanitarian spot assistance to Dominica for the first time, launched a post-disaster roof repair project through the United Nations Development Programme, but also donated urgently needed ambulances, fire trucks and other civilian vehicles to many parties. China has also actively supported Dominica's goal of building "the world's first anti-climate change country" and strictly controlled the quality of projects with hurricane-resistant construction standards in infrastructure cooperation projects between the two sides. Charles said that the Sino-Multi-Friendly Hospital undertaken by Chinese companies has strengthened its resilience to natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes in design and construction, and has "become a model project for Dominica."
Always standing with Dominica in difficult times, China is a cherished friend in the hearts of Dominica people. In recent years, with the gradual increase in people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, the feelings of the two peoples have been getting closer. "As soon as I had the opportunity, I invited my Chinese friends to Dominica to enjoy the beautiful scenery and special handicrafts." Charles also hopes that Dominica people can experience chinese life first-hand.
Charles in particular hopes to push the younger generations of the two countries to deepen mutual understanding. The government scholarships provided by China every year have allowed many Dominica students to truly enter China and thus break out of their own piece of the sky. He introduced that Dominica citizen Delia Ducrey, who was selected for the United Nations 2020 100 "Most Influential Celebrities of African Descent List" for her outstanding work in the field of education, is a beneficiary of the Chinese Government Scholarship. "We are very proud that Donimic international students have achieved something in China, and we hope that more students from Dominica will come to China for further study in the future."
Curator/Niu Ning
Review/Maori
Copywriter/Zhang Liulu
Translation/Zhang Liulu
Voiced by/Niu Ning
Interview/Mao Li Zhang Liulu Zhao Yichen Wu Zhengdan
Late/Zhao Yichen
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